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BlackBerry 7100g

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By Bonnia Cha
Feb 23, 2005

A few months ago, Research In Motion introduced the BlackBerry 7100t, changing not only the BlackBerry form factor but also expanding its target audience from business users to more-casual consumers. At the time, only T-Mobile users in the US were able to enjoy this handset, but now, the company is bringing a similar model to Singapore with the release of the BlackBerry 7100g. The smart phone retains many of the same features as the 7100t--the high-resolution color display, 32MB of memory, and the speakerphone--but sports a slightly different look with a more classic silver and black casing. The 7100g is fairly priced at S$568 (US$403.29).

Upside: One of the most attractive features of the 7100 series is the compact form factor. Unlike traditional BlackBerry models, such as 7230, the 7100g looks and feels more like a standard cell phone (117 x 59 x 21mm). Fortunately, the smaller size doesn't mean fewer features. For instance, you still get a vibrant, portrait-mode color display. Other goodies include support for up to 10 personal and business e-mail accounts, a speakerphone, Bluetooth, and world phone capability (GSM 850/900/1800/1900).

Downside: RIM touts its SureType technology (a combination of a traditional numerical keypad and a QWERTY keyboard) as "fast, accurate, and easy," but in using the 7100t, we found there's a learning curve. Although SureType will complete words for you based on the letters you input, it was often easier just to type the whole thing ourselves. We were disappointed too that there's no expandable memory slot. On the performance side, we'll have to test it before giving a final assessment, but the rated battery life of 4 hours of talk time and 8 days of standby time is on the short side, especially compared to the figures for the Treo 650 (5 hours talk, 12 days standby).

Outlook: Today's smart phones are getting even smarter when it comes to functionality and design, so RIM was wise to break from tradition and come out with a slimmer and more user-friendly device. There's also no camera, which will benefit users working in high-security environments. Still, the 7100g and the rest of the series face stiff competition from the growing number of all-in-one gadgets, such as the Sony Ericsson P910i. That said, for those looking to get a taste of the CrackBerry craze or trade in their old model for a sexier device, the 7100g will serve them well.